Leah Remini Scientology Docuseries Debut A&E’s Best In Two Years

Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath is A&E’s highest-rated series launch in more than two years, logging 2.1 million viewers Tuesday night. Of that crowd, 1.1M fell in the target 25-54 demographic group, and 913K in the younger 18-49 demo. The premiere also ranked among the top new unscripted launches on cable in 2016.

The premiere episode of Scientology and the Aftermath was the No. 1 original series launch on A&E since the launch of Big Smo on June 11, 2014, which had followed a Duck Dynasty premiere in that reality series’ heyday.

For comparison’s sake, Going Clear, HBO’s docu profiling eight former Church of Scientology members, clocked 1.65 million viewers in a Sunday premiere back in March 2015. The film opened theatrically in L.A., New York and San Francisco ahead of its HBO bow. Among viewers in the 18-49 demographic, the premium-cable network launch of that Alex Gibney docu, based on Lawrence Wright’s Pulitzer-winning book, logged 831,000 viewers. In total viewers, Going Clear’s initial bite on HBO logged the net’s best docu numbers since February 2013.

A&E’s eight-episode Remini project is produced by the Intellectual Property Corporation. Executive producers for IPC are Eli Holzman and Aaron Saidman. Leah Remini serves as executive producer for her No Seriously Productions. Alex Weresow serves as showrunner and executive producer.